buspar working, but side effects a problem

[apsdecatur]

I'd love to hear from folks who are currently on or who once were on buspar.  Do these side effects fade?

I've been on venlafaxine 375 mg for about 12 years, but it's not working for me like it should anymore.  (I'm an ultra-rapid metabolizer, in case you were wondering why my dose is so high.)  My psychopharmacologist has been using an augmentation strategy, and the latest add-on is buspar.  I started buspar at 15 mgs about 3 weeks ago.  I bumped up to 30 mgs about two weeks ago.  (I take 10 mgs every 8 hours.)  No other meds, other than the occasional 0.5 mg lorazepam.

The buspar is definitely curbing my anxiety, which is wonderful.  I can also feel it starting to work on my depression.  The problem is that I need to bump up to 45 mgs to (hopefully) bring it within antidepressant range, but the side effects are still kicking my butt.  Dizziness, spaceyness, bad headaches/earaches, gastrointestinal cramping.  These side effects aren't as bad as they were the first week after I bumped up to 30 mgs, i.e. I have been able to make it work.  However, they are still a big problem, and I know they are going to increase when I move to 45 mgs.

I really, really want this to work.  Can anyone give me some hope that the side effects will become more manageable or even go away within a month or so?  I'm going to be brave and bump up regardless, because I want to be able to say I did everything I could before discontinuing venlafaxine and getting on another med.  My former psychiatric nurse practitioner HORRIBLY screwed up a titration attempt in April 2014, so I am familiar with the hell that is venlafaxine withdrawal.

Thank you so much for any insights you can give!

[jt07]

I got the side effects of dizziness and fog from Buspar, but I can't remember whether they went away or not because it's been a while since I tried it. I do know that it did not help my anxiety, and after a couple of months I gave up on it. If I had to guess, I'd say that the side effects will abate once you are done titrating and you give it time. That's the way it typically is with psych meds.

[CirclesOfConfusion]

I had brain zaps and dizziness after every buspar dose (10mg/3xday) for several months.  They became somewhat less frequent after about 6-8 months.  They only finally stopped recently after a very small dose of an SSRI was added (10mg/day fluoxetine/prozac, this time around).  I'm not exactly sure how that works...?

Back when I discontinued lexapro I had horrible brain zaps and vertigo that kept me flat in bed or the couch for several weeks.  So with the history I've accumulated so far, at least my current pdoc knows to go light and slow on any changes involving serotonin.

Have you had your side effects before with any other meds or med combos?  Just wondering if maybe it's possible to identify any sort of pattern or commonalities within your med history that can help guide you and your pdoc in deciding what to do next.

[GADKeebler]

I am very happy with my buspar. From what I've read, a lot of people don't like it. But I think those people are the benzoheads who are just looking for a high.. if you want anti-anxiety without the sedation, buspar is the way to go.. and yes, the side effects go away.  hang in there.